1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a Plasma Display Panel (PDP), and more particularly, to a Micro Discharge (MD) PDP, which includes a dielectric layer having a plurality of dielectric-layer perforated holes arranged in a matrix and electrode layers provided on the upper and lower surfaces of the dielectric layer and having a plurality of electrode-layer perforated holes corresponding to the dielectric-layer perforated holes.
2. Description of Related Art
In general, a Plasma Display Panel (PDP) is formed by forming barrier ribs and electrodes on two substrates spaced apart from each other and facing each other, injecting discharge gas therebetween and sealing the two substrates.
In the PDP, numerous pixels are regularly arranged in a matrix. In the PDP, the pixels are driven by supplying voltages to the electrodes without an active element, that is, a passive matrix arrangement. The PDP is classified into a DC PDP and an AC PDP, depending on a voltage signal for driving the electrodes. Alternatively, the PDP is classified into a face discharge PDP and a surface discharge PDP, depending on the arrangement of two electrodes to which a discharge voltage is supplied.
A surface light emitting source using a plasma discharge includes a Micro Discharge (MD) and a Micro Hollow Cathode Discharge (MHCD).
There are various types of MD PDPs, but an open MD PDP has been chosen for illustrative purposes. The MD PDP is composed of three layers: upper and lower electrode layers for receiving a voltage and a dielectric layer for forming a space between the upper and lower electrode layers. A plurality of perforated holes are formed in the upper and lower electrode layers and the dielectric layer. The upper and lower electrode layers are formed in a flat plate shape except for the perforated holes and are integrally formed. If a predetermined voltage is supplied across the upper and lower electrodes, a surface discharge is generated between the two electrode layers in the perforated holes. If the perforated holes are of an adequate size, a stable and efficient plasma discharge can be generated in the perforated holes.
When the discharge is generated, light is emitted from the perforated holes. In general, phosphor layers for increasing emission efficiency are formed in the perforated holes and Micro Discharges (MDs) operate in a specific gas atmosphere. Such an MD is a surface light source and can be used as a backlight source of non-self-luminous display, such as a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD).
However, the MD having the configuration described above has the same shape as that of a typical capacitor having a dielectric inserted between two electrodes. Accordingly, when an AC voltage is supplied across the two electrode layers, power may be unnecessarily consumed due to parasitic capacitance.
Since a stable and efficient plasma discharge can be generated in the perforated holes when the perforated holes are of an adequate size, and the MD described above has a shape similar to that of an initial matrix plasma display, a plasma display using an MD structure may be tried to be manufactured.